Corrugated and non-corrugated thermoplastic tubings are widely used as conduits for protecting wiring cables extending between various control boxes, switch boxes, and the like. Conventionally, to facilitate the installation and use of such tubing, push together or “snap together” type connectors have been used to allow tubing sections to be joined to each other or to system components quickly and without requiring special tools or adhesives.
Different connector designs have been proposed for this purpose. These prior connector designs have varied from simple one piece type connectors using resilient tabs or fingers to more complex multi-component designs using multiple rings or other internal connector elements.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,836,580 (the '580 patent) discloses one such design. The '580 patent discloses a connection device for use in securing an end of a corrugated pipe to a fitting such as a terminal box connector or to be used as a pipe-to-pipe coupling. The connection device of the '580 patent includes an annular ring having an array of fingers extending axially therefrom, for insertion into a fitting body. The fitting body has apertures therein. In practice, a user first inserts the corrugated pipe into the annular ring and then begins to introduce the fingers of the annular ring and the corrugated pipe into the fitting body. However, because of the configuration of both the fingers of the annular ring and the fitting body, the fingers are concealed to the user when the user begins to introduce the fingers of the annular ring into the fitting body, thereby preventing the user to accurately control the alignment of the fingers with the apertures of the fitting.
There is therefore a need in the art for a fitting for easily connecting a corrugated tubing to an associated structure.